The University of St. Thomas

Architectural Neighbors

Now settled into its new home in Owatonna, the Winton Guest House finds itself in good company, architecturally speaking.

At the Gainey Conference CenterEdwin Lundie-designed home; Gainey Conference Center

Across the lawn from the Winton Guest House is a French Norman Revival-style home designed by Minnesota architect Edwin Lundie for Josten’s first full-time ring salesman and eventual CEO, Daniel C. Gainey. Lundie's residential designs tend toward the small, modest and intimate; visitors will find the interior to be elegantly detailed with padded silk brocade walls, marble throughout the home, parquet flooring and gold fixtures. The exterior is distinguished by its white-washed brick and variety of wrought-iron lanterns.

Downtown Owatonna

A few miles north of the Gainey Conference Center, the city of Owatonna hosts a variety of architectural delights. On a walking tour through the city, visitors can experience:

  • Louis Sullivan’s National Farmer’s Bank, affectionally nicknamed the "Jewel of the Prairie" (1908)
  • Houses by prairie school architects Purcell, Feick and Elmslie (1912 and 1913)
  • A Romanesque courthouse (1891) 
  • A neoclassic library (1900)
  • The Romanesque-revival Minnesota State Public School (c. 1885)

The University of St. Thomas is proud to add the Winton Guest House to this architecturally-significant community.